BRADENTON, Fla. — The Manatee County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) said a Bradenton man was arrested and charged with the second-degree murder of his girlfriend.
MCSO said on April 8, 2025, deputies responded to a report of an unconscious woman in a vehicle in the area of the 2000 block of 30th Avenue East in Bradenton.
Deputies said 34-year-old Yassmin Montoya was found unresponsive in the passenger seat with significant injuries.
Montoya was taken to the hospital, where she died from her injuries on April 11. According to the report, she had suffered a traumatic brain injury, facial fractures, and other extensive internal injuries.
The medical examiner ruled her death a homicide and cited blunt force trauma consistent with a prolonged, forceful physical assault, per the report.
According to MCSO, 33-year-old Roger Villasana, Montoya's boyfriend, initially claimed Montoya had been attacked by unknown suspects in Sarasota.
An investigation revealed inconsistencies in Villasana’s claims, and surveillance footage captured a violent altercation between the couple from that night.
Deputies said footage revealed Villasana forcibly dragging Montoya back into their hotel room after she attempted to flee. Minutes later, she was seen visibly injured and unable to walk without assistance.
MCSO said cell phone data, license plate records, and video evidence confirmed the couple never visited the area where Villasana claimed the alleged attack happened.
After an extensive investigation, MCSO charged Villasana with second-degree murder. He was arrested on Sept. 3.
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